IN THE CORRIDORS

Although the motivations were mixed, there was general frustration
in the corridors on Wednesday. Many delegates who did not support
the Chair's compromise text on paragraph 8.25 -- and who are
generally opposed to abortion -- complained that they were not
invited to participate in the Chair's consultations on Tuesday that
developed this text. Those who were willing to accept the Chair's
text, and put the debate on abortion behind them, were not pleased
to see that the Chair had apparently let an emerging consensus slip
through his fingers. Some NGOs and delegates are afraid that the
result of this new set of consultations will be so weak that the
important issues of empowerment of women and women's reproductive
rights will also be compromised. Some delegates criticized the new
working group as exclusive rather than transparent. There was also
doubt that the group could produce a text that could be accepted by
the Main Committee. As passions continue to run high, look for
intense lobbying to continue throughout the day on Thursday.